I sent this in an email to my MLA:
I want to express my concerns over infrastructure in Coquitlam. Specifically, we are seeing considerable growth in already busy corridors: North Road and Como Lake, Ioco Road, Austin Avenue and soon Rocky Point. What used to be single family homes are now multiplex townhouses and highrises. These are already some of the busiest roads in Coquitlam and now we are significantly increasing the density and thus adding a lot more traffic. It seems that supporting this added traffic is an afterthought.
For example, just east of North Road on Como Lake are two streets, Tyndall and Clearmont, that have added a large number of people going to those streets, and they both lack left turn lanes. This is already a traffic slow down and it will only intensify as projects complete and new residences are added. These are just two examples of how traffic flow in our cities is going to drastically worsen as density increases. I can only imagine how bad traffic will get in the coming years if there isn’t a plan to deal with this sooner rather than later.
I understand the need for increased density. I just wonder why it always seems that road infrastructure is an afterthought? Sure, you can add bike lanes, and promote public transit, but when you add hundreds or thousand people to a community, roads and infrastructure need to be proactively considered rather than trying to fix this issue as an afterthought.
Typically, adding more road infrastructure — extra lanes, say, — actually makes traffic worse as car journeys are inherently less efficient (in terms of street capacity) per passenger than bike, bus, or train journeys. In most of North America, Coquitlam certainly included, getting around by automobile is an easy first resort. Adding additional infrastructure to let people make bike or bus or train journeys takes people who might otherwise have been forced to drive off the road, lessening traffic.
A 40-footer bus carrying dozens of people is obviously a more efficient use of the asphalt than 24+ cars on the road. I don’t have a source for this offhand, but I think just about the only thing you can do physically do to a road to improve traffic on it is to paint a bus lane.
If cities are more walkable, fewer people have to drive as they can make many more necessary trips as pedestrians, walking to their grocery store, bank, restaurant, or workplace. If they can bike safely on separated lanes, then even more journeys become practical as their range-without-a-car extends yet farther. Ultimately the mode share shifts away from cars, making more space for those car journeys that still need to be made and reducing traffic.
Strong Towns is an org that does advocacy for urbanism and has many explainers on the topic, I found this one quite good:
https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2022/8/24/what-causes-traffic-problems-updating-your-mental-model
I completely agree with you about livable cities Katy. While my thinking was about left turn lanes, and incline to see more roundabouts to improve traffic flow and reduce accidents, the thought of better public transit and biking lanes are an even better focus.
I’ve written before about my visit to Barcelona, and how the city felt like an extension to our AirBNB living room. The city actually created one-way roads to widen sidewalks, and we loved how livable the city felt without a car.
Thanks for sharing!